The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 4

The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive · Discourse · Chapter 4

p. 109CHAP. IV. There is no neceſſity of ſaving or juſtifying faith by the Romiſh Doctrine.

Sect. 1. THat no man can be juſtified or ſaved without faith, is ſo evident in Scripture, that none but an Infidel can queſtion it. The Romaniſts do not expreſs any doubt of it; and yet they make no other faith neceſſary, than that which is neither juſtifying, nor ſaving. They have two ſorts of faith, one for the unlearned and ignorant, which they call Implicite: The other for the learned and more knowing, which they ſay ſhould be Explicite.

The former as they deſcribe it, is an aſſent to ſome general including many particulars, with a mind to believe nothing contrary thereunto, the general is this. That what ever the Roman Church (which cannot err) believes, is true, the particulars included, are they know not what, for they are ſuppoſed ignorant. Now, this we ſay, is no Chriſtian faith; and make it apparent, that it is no ſuch thing. For firſt, it is no belief of any one particular, or article of the Chriſtian faith. It is only a belief of a general, which is no truth at all, much leſs Chriſtian (that the Church of Rome cannot err, or believe any thing but what is true) when the ignorant perſon neither knows what this Church is, nor what ſhe believes, nor why he ſhould give her ſuch credit. So that the act is a blind conceit unworthy of a Man, or a Chriſtian; and the object, a general error.

And then as to the particulars which are neceſſary for Chriſtians to believe, this implicite faith doth not actually believe any of them at p. 110all; if it did, it would not be what it is, implicite. It apprehends them not, & therefore cannot believe them, for as themſelves acknowledge (a)(a)Ne que enim credi poteſt quod non cognoſcitur. Fill. tr. 22. n. 39.That cannot be believed which is not known. To render this clear to us, they thus explain it. When (b)(b)Bannes. 22. q. 2. art. 8. Sect. dubitatur ſecundo. Sum. Roſel. verb. fides. n. 1.a man is asked, whether Chriſt were born of the Virgin Mary, and whether there be one God, and three perſons; and he anſwers that he knows not, but believes touching theſe things, as the Church holds, this is to believe implicitely. So that a man may have this faith compleatly, and yet not believe an article of the Creed, and if this be Chriſtian faith, a man may have it, who believes nothing of Chriſt. They are believers at this rate, who have a mind to hold, what the Church doth, concerning Chriſt, or the Creed; though they never know, what that is. They know not what the Church holds; unleſs the Churches knowing, be their knowledge; and ſo believe nothing, unleſs the Churche's believing be their faith; and ſo have no faith to ſave them, unleſs it be ſaving faith, to believe by an Attorney.

Secondly, as this faith may be without the knowledge and belief of any of the particular Articles, which are neceſſary to be believed by Chriſtians; ſo (which is yet more ſtrange) it may be with the belief of what is oppoſite, and repugnant to the Chriſtian faith. This they acknowledge and clear it to us by inſtances. A man may be diſpoſed to believe what the Church holds, and yet may believe that God the Father, and God the Son are not equal, but one greater, and elder than the other, or that the perſons in the Trinity are locally diſtant. Such is the vertue of implicite faith faith (c)(c)In tantum valet fides implicita, quod ſi quis habens eam falſo opinaretur, ratione naturali motus, Patrem majorem, vel priorem Filio: vel tres perſonas localiter diſtare, a… ſimile quid, non ſit haereticus, non peccet: dummodo hunc errorem pertinaciter non defendat, & hoc ipſum credat, quia credat eccleſiam ſic credere. Verb. Credere. Sum, Roſel v. fides. n. 2. After Pope Innocent and Hoſtienſis.Altenſtaig, that, if he who hath it believes theſe errors, or any like them, he would be no Heretick he would not ſin; provided he doth not maintain his error pertinaciouſly, and that he believes, becauſe he thinks the Church believes it. Or ſuch p. 111a Catholick may believe (d)(d)Ut puta vetula credit Trinitatem eſſe unam Faeminam, & quoniam credit eccleſiam ſic tenere, ſic credit: & tamen non eſt haeretica: quia conditionaliter credit, ſi eccleſia ſic tenet & credit. Verb. ſides. n. 6.that the three perſons in the God-head are one Woman, it would be but a ſmall fault with Angelus to believe this, thinking the Church believes the ſame. (e)(e)Siquis non crederet Chriſtum eſse verum Deum & hominem, & idem ſentiret papa, eum non iri damnatum. Cardin. St. Angeli. ad legaros Bohem. an. 1447.Or he may believe, that Chriſt is not true God and Man; and yet not be condemned for it, if the Pope believed it too. (g)(g)Ruſticus & imperitus qui ſuo Parocho fidem habens, credit aliquid contra articulos fidei, excuſatur a peccato. Probl. 15. p. 98.If truſting a Prieſt (who tells him the Church holds it) he believes any thing againſt the Articles of faith, he is excuſed ſaith Sancta Clara after Scotus and Gabriel and others (h)(h)Licet alicui articulo fidei diſcredat explicite, credit tamen implicite eidem in generali fide, &c. ibid. Corduba.Though he expreſly diſbelieve any Article of faith, yet he may be ſaid to believe it implicitely. So that he may believe that the Creed or the Goſpel is not to be believed, he may count it a Fable (as Pope Leo called it) and yet be a Chriſtian, as to his belief, if this be the Chriſtian faith. He may be expreſly an Heretick or a monſtrous miſ-believer, and yet implicitely be a faithful Roman-Catholick.

Thirdly, ſuch a faith as this, Jewes, and Turks, and Pagans have, even the worſt of theſe, who do but acknowledge a God of truth. For they believe what this God reveals is true, and this general involves all the particulars of the Chriſtian belief; ſo that if the belief of ſuch a general without other faith as to the particulars, may be ſufficient for Papiſts; ſuch Infidels may paſs for as true believers, as Roman-Catholicks. Yea the faith of ſuch Catholicks will be ſo much worſe, than that of theſe Infidels; as it is better to believe Gods veracity and Revelation, than to believe the infallibility of the Roman Church, or the truth of all therein believed.

Indeed ſuch a faith was not counted ſufficient for Chriſtians, till Chriſtians were thought to be ſomething like Aſſes. Aquinas inquires, whether all be a like obliged to have an explicite ſaith? He anſwers negatively, and the ground of his concluſion is, Job. 1. 14. The Oxen were plowing, and the Aſſes were feeding beſide them: From whence he p. 112argues gravely. (i)(i)Quia videlicet minores qui ſignificantur per aſinos, d…bent in credendis adhaere… majoribus, qui per boves ſignificantur ut Gregorius expouit in 2 moral. Aquinas. 2. 2. q. 2. art. 6.That the people who are ſignified by Aſſes, are to lye down in the faith of their Superiors, who are ſignified by the Oxen, as Gregory expounds it. But what if the Oxen go a ſtray, what muſt become of the Aſſes then? Why, they may follow them without hurt, believing that they are right, when they are in a wrong way (for they muſt not have their names for nothing?) So he reſolves this difficulty. (k)(k)Humana cognitio non ſit regula fidei, ſed veritas Divina; a qua ſi aliqui majorum dificiunt, non praejudicat fidei ſimplicium qui eos rectam fidem habere credunt. Aquinas. ibid. ad tertium.Human knowledge is not the rule of faith, but Divine truth: from which if ſome of the Superiors (the Oxen) make defection, that hurts not the faith of the ſimple (the Aſſes) who believe them to have the right faith. After theſe two Saints, their beſt Pope, and their Angelical Doctor, (that we may ſee we owe not this rare notion (where their whole Church is ſo ſubtilly divided into Oxen and Aſſes) to any lower, than the moſt eminent amongſt them.) Cardinal (l)(l)De juſtific. l. 1. c. 7. p. 706.Bellarmine their great Champion makes uſe of the ſame expoſition of that Text, to maintain the ſufficiency of ſuch a faith.

Stapleton, would have us believe, that they admit not of this implicite faith, ſave in points of leſs moment, but herein he miſrepreſents them, and would delude us. For it is the common Doctrine of the Romaniſts, That an implicite faith in Chriſt, (ſuch as Pagans may have, and for which none ſhould have the name of Chriſtians) is ſufficient under the Goſpel, to paſs any into (m)(m)For theſe are alledged. Altiſiodorenſis, Gulielmus Pariſienſis, Richardusde Media villa, Scotus. Bradwardin, Gabriel, Baptiſta Tro…amala, Vega, Medina, Corduba, Faber, Patigianis Herrera, &c. Victoria, Soto, Canus, Bannes, Alvarez, in Sta. Clara. Probl. 15. & in Bannes in 22. q. 2. art. 8.a juſtifying or ſaving ſtate.

This is it which our Divines commonly teach ſaith (n)(n)Vega pro conc. Trident. l. 6. c. 15. p. 92.Vega, when they ſay, the faith of one Mediatour either explicite or implicite, is enough for p. 113juſtification. And (o)(o)Probl. 15. p. 89. & haec eſt communior in Scholis, ut declarat & ſequitur Herrera, &c. So Bartholom. de Ledeſma ſum. de ſacram. paenit. cum ad primam juſtificationem ſides explicita Chriſti non requiratur, ut ſupponimus, tanquam magis probabile, & commune in Scholis, &c.Sancta Clara, with others, tell us, this is the more common tenet in their Schools. And whereas they make ſome difference between juſtification, and ſalvation in this point: Bannes helps to remove it (p)(p)in 22. q. 2. art. 8. dub. ult. Dicendum quod gratia eſt ſufficiens cauſa gloriae, unde omne illud ſine quo obtineri poteſt gratia, non eſt de neceſſitate ſalutis. Aquinas. in 4. diſt. 9. art. 1. vid. Soto. in 4. diſt. 5. q. unica. art. 2. dub. ult.It is neither Hereſie, ſaith he, nor Error, nor Raſhneſs. nor Scandal, to aſſert, that a man may alſo in the ſame manner he ſaved; becauſe juſtification being the laſt diſpoſition to glory: it is very probable, that he which is juſtified by an implicite faith; may alſo by the ſame faith, without alteration be ſaved.

It is true, they ſay there is a precept for a more expreſs faith, though no more than this implicite belief in Chriſt be needful, neceſſitate medij. But they have ſo many wayes to exempt Infidells (even under the profeſſion of Chriſtians) from its obligation; that few in compariſon will be culpable for not obſerving it: By their Doctors they are excuſed, if they (q)(q)Fill. tr. 22. n. 40. &be dull or groſs-witted If they be (r)(r)n. 54. Dico ſecundo obligationem praedictam eſſe ſub peccato mortali, niſi ignorantia aut impotentia excuſet. Communis doctorum.ignorant or impotent, or (s)(s)Probabilis eſt (ignorantia) quando quis habit fundamentum probabile; ut dum ruſticus credit aliquid ductus teſtimonio ſui Parochi aut parentum—ſic doctores Communiter. Sancta. Clar. ibid. p 87.if their Prieſt or their Parents miſlead them; or (t)(t)Quando articuli fidei non modo debito proponuntur; ut rationibus frivolis, vel ab hominibus impijs: tunc enim credere eſſet actus imprudentiae, ſecundum D. Tho m. 22. q. 1. art. 4. ad ſecundum. idem. ibid. vid plures in Jo. Sanc. d. 19. n. 3. & 4.if the object of faith be not duely propoſed, if by ſlight reaſons, or by impious perſons (then it would he imprudence to believe;) or (u)(u)Id. ibid. p. 95.if they do not doubt of their faith; or if their Teachers be fallacious or erroneous; or if the propoſal (x)(x)Aragon. in 2. 2. q. 11. art. 2. dub. ult. ibid. p. 01.be not enforced with reaſons, with holineſs of life, with the confutation of the contrary, and with ſome wonders. In ſhort, if they have not had ſufficient inſtruction (in this all agree.) And p. 114this alone will excuſe a great part of their Church, who for want of ſuch inſtruction, are acknowledged by themſelves, to be Infidells. Thus Navarre delivers it. (y)(y)In univerſa Chriſtiana republica, circa haec tanta eſt ſocordia, ut multos paſſim invenias nihil magis in particulari & explicite de hiſce rebus credere, quam Ethnicum quendam Philoſophum, ſola unius veri Dei naturali cognitione praeditum. Cap. 11. n. 22. p. 142.In the whole Chriſtian Commonwealth (he means the Roman Church) there is ſo great neglect as to this, that ye may find many every where, who believe no more of theſe things (i. e.) of Chriſt and the moſt neceſſary Articles of the Chriſtian faith) in particular and explicitely, than ſome Heathen Philoſophers, who have only the natural knowledge of the one true God.

But if the precept could reach any through all theſe ſecurities, (which we cannot eaſily imagine) yet there is one way to clear them all of it: ſo that they may live and dye Infidells, without danger from any command requiring faith in Chriſt. For he that hath not that expreſs faith which is commanded in the Goſpel, but only what is requiſite neceſſitate medij, is living or dying, if he be ſorry for his negligence, and purpoſe to amend (which may be in their ſenſe without true Repentance) capable of abſolution, without any inſtruction from his Confeſſor (a)(a)Imo in rigore, non tenetur confeſſarius, etiamſi ſanus ſit paenitens, eum inſtruere ante abſolutionem; aummodo enim doleat de preterita negligentia, & proponat emendationem in futu…um, capax eſt abſolutionis, ſola fide explicita circa myſteria neceſſario credenda ex medio. Fill. tr. 28. n. 58. vid. Jo. Sanc. d. 9. n. 18.. And by vertue of that he may live in a juſtified ſtate, or if he dye, he paſſeth out of the World, as a very good Chriſtian, though he believe in Chriſt, no more than a Heathen.

Sect. 2. Paſs we to their other ſort of faith, which they call explicite, it is, as they define it. An actual aſſent to the particulars, which the Church propounds, as revealed by God. This with them is juſtifying faith requiſite in the learned, and more intelligent amongſt them. As to the object of it, if we view it well, it looks untowardly for a thing by which a ſinner is to be juſtified. For it is prodigiouſly extended, and takes in things uncertain, falſe, impoſſible, impertinent, and ridiculous; as points that muſt certainly be believed unto juſtification. For their Church propounds as things revealed by God (and ſo objects p. 115of juſtifying faith) not only what is delivered in Scripture; but …nwritten Traditions concerning matters of faith and manners, and …heſe, if they will be juſtified, they muſt believe; though they know …ot what they are, nor where to find them, but in the Churches uner…ing fancy. She propounds alſo, the unanimous conſent of the Fathers, …n ſeveral points; and though this never was, or is impoſſible to be …nown: yet it muſt be believed, by thoſe that mean to be juſtified. She propounds the decrees of Councils to be believed as Divine truths; (b) Omnia concilia post Chalcedonenſe potiſſimum inſtituta fuerunt, non ut erueretur veritas, ſed ut roboraretur, defenderetur, at que augeretur ſemper eccleſiae Romanae poteſtas, & eccleſiaſticorum libertas. Aeneas Sylvius. l. 2. de geſt. conc. Baſil.when it is acknowledged, that the deſign in Councils, for many hundred years; was not to diſcover truth, but to promote the Roman greatneſs. She propounds alſo the determinations of Popes, theſe muſt be believed as infallible, when ordinarily they were neither perſons of common truth, or honeſty, and we muſt be juſtified by believing the dictates of Atheiſts or (c)(c)Canus. loc. Theol. l. 6. p. 243. 344.Hereticks; of (d)(d)Sylveſt. 2. Platin. Chron. Martini Poloni. Hildeband. Binno Cardin.Conjurers, (e)(e)Faex vitiorum & Diabolus incarnatus Conſtan. concil. Seſſ. 11. art. 5. Benedict. 9. vid. Baron. an. 1034. n 3.or incarnate Devils; of vicious Beaſts, (f)(f)Sunt qui ſcribunt hunc ſceleratiſſimum hominem, ſeu monſtrum potius Platina. vi…a. Joh. 13.John 13and wicked Monſters. For thoſe who cry up …is Holineſs, have adorned him alſo now and then with theſe other Sacred Titles.

I know not whether theſe things are more ridiculous, or more horrid; how ever letting them paſs as they are: let us take their faith at beſt, and make it better than they will have it. Suppoſe it reſted in the Scriptures, and had no thing for its object but Revelation, ſuch as is truly Divine: yet even ſo they give ſuch Report of it, as will ſcarce ſuffer us to think, that they can expect to be juſtified by it. Conſidered in it ſelf they (c)(c)Dominic. a Soto. de natur. & grat. lib. … …. 7. d. 79. & 81.count it not worthy the name of a vertue. They (d)(d)Concil. Trident. Seſſ. 6. c. 7call it a dead, idle thing, and though they would have it to be an infuſed habit, and the gift of God (becauſe the Scripture ſo calls that p. 116which is juſtifying faith indeed) yet they ſay a (e)(e)Scotus in 3. diſt. 23. air. fide humana, (quam ipſe appellat acquiſitam) hominem poſſe aſſentiri toti praedicationi Christianae. Imo ita inquit, credimus authoritate eccleſiae (quam ipſe putat humanam & inſtitutione parentum)—Cui ſententiae adhuc explicatius ſubſcribit Durandus q. 1. in 2. ſent. d. 28. Dicens fidem infuſam non eſſe neceſſariam, niſi u… facilius credamus. Soto. ibid. l. 2. c. 8. p. 81.mere humane quality acquired without any ſupernatural aſſiſtance; may perform its proper act and office, by actual aſſent to the whole Chriſtian Doctrine. They confeſs it is commonly found in the worſt of men (in perditiſſimis hominibus) ſuch as are neither acted nor poſſeſſed by the ſpirit of God; ſuch as live and dye in mortal wickedneſs, (f)(f)Bellarm. de Baptiſm. l. 1. c. 14.and are damned for it. Yea ſome of them confeſs that it is in the Devils. This faith, ſaith Cardinal (g)(g)Fi…es haec non eſt ea tantum qua credimus Deum eſſe, & qua credimus vera eſſe quae dicit Deus, haec etenim eſt etiam in Daemonibus & perditiſſimis hominibus. Confut. artic. Lutheri. art. 1.Contarenus is not it, by which we believe, that there is a God, or by which we believe that the things are true which God ſpeaks: For this alſo is in the Devils, and the moſt wicked men. Yet at other times this is with them, THE CHRISTIAN THE CATHOLICK FAITH, as if it were enough, to make them true (*)(*)Concil. Trident. Seſſ. 6. c. 28.Chriſtians and Catholicks: but ſure they will not ſeek for their Chriſtianity, and Catholickneſs in a Room lower than Purgatory. However inſtead of a faith which the Scripture calls for, as ſaving and juſtifying; they commend to Chriſtians a faith, which hath no connexion at all, neceſſary or probable, with Salvation or Juſtification. All they have to ſay, is, That it muſt neceſſarily be joyned with love: but when they have ſaid this, they undo it, and all, by making love it ſelf unneceſſary, as we ſaw before.

Sect. 3. In fine, they ſeem little concerned for faith who hath it, or hath it not, or how little it be, or how ſeldome acted. It is not (h)(h)Non enim fides interior Romani Pontificis eccleſiae eſt neceſſaria. Canus, loc. Theol. lib. 6. c. ult. p. 344.neceſſary that the Pope himſelf ſhould have this faith (though the Devils want it not) yea or any other vertue for all his Holineſs: the Body may do well enough, though the Head of it be an Infidel. p. 117They are obliged to maintain this, becauſe their Popes often have been no better. And the body may ſhift pretty well without it too. This may be the true Catholick Church made up of the whole company of believers, when not one amongſt them all hath faith, for time was, ſay they, (i)(i)Abbas in Sylveſt. ſum. v. Concil. n. 3.when none at all had faith, but only one Woman, and it may be ſo again.

As for the exerciſe of it Hurtado thinks an act of faith may be requiſite once in a year; (*)(*)Exiſtimant aliqui precepeum eliciendae fidei obligare ſingulis annis—ve…u… hoc communiter negatur. Petr. a S. Joſeph. ſum de 1. praecep. art. 1. p. 6.but the Jeſuite may ſeem to deal unmercifully with them, putting them to believe ſome of their Creed once in Twelve moneths: thoſe of other Orders would not have them ſo much oppreſſed, once in 12 years will be enough, Bonacina (k)(k)Tom. 2. in 1. praecept. diſp. 3. q. 2. punct. 2.ſaith 4 or 5 moments in a whole life may ſuffice for this and ſpecifies them; but becauſe this may ſeem too hard, he ſignifieth withall, how they may he eaſed in a manner of them all. For once (though that be at the point of death) an (l)(l)n. 12.implicite act may ſerve. At an other time or two the precept for faith doth not of it ſelf oblige to the act, only (m)(m)n. 9. & 11.it is requiſite by accident; and ſo the neglect of it then, will be no ſpecial ſin, nor need be confeſſed. At another time (or more if there were occaſion) ignorance, or want of conſideration may (n)(n)n 8.excuſe them (for theſe two, though they ruine the greateſt part of the World eternally, yet are the greateſt ſecurity of Roman-Catholicks: and not only exempt them from that which is moſt the duty of Chriſtians, but will not ſuffer them to ſin, at leaſt mortally, do what they can.) So that after all, one act of their faith once in a life time will be enough. (o)(o)Exiſtimo tamen ſufficere, ut iſti rudes ſemel aſſenſum explicite praebuerint articulis ad ſalut…m neceſſarijs dum ſibi proponebantur a confeſſario, vel ab alio. Ibid. n. 14. ibi. Malderus & alij Peter a S. Joſeph reduces all the moments and occaſions where an act of faith may be thought requiſite to ſix heads: and then declares upon each ſeverally, either that the precept doth not of it ſelf oblige, or that they may be excuſed from ſin in neglecting it, at any of them. Sum in 1. precept. art. 1. p. 3. 4, 5, 6.I think it ſufficient (ſaith he after many others) for thoſe that are rude, to give an explicite aſſent once, to the Articles neceſſary to p. 118Salvation, while they are propounded by their Confeſſor, or ſome other. But how muſt the Confeſſor propound theſe Articles to them, ſo as they may paſs this one act of faith upon them once for all? Why the beſt way (p)(p)Bonacin. ibid. n. 16.he tells us, is by a mode of forming the ſign of the Croſs, as it is deſcribed for this purpoſe, by Graffius, Bellarmine, and other great Divines. I had the curioſity to ſee how a Confeſſor can make the moſt ignorant perſons true believers by the ſign of the Croſs; and ſo effectually, as they never need more believe than once, while they live, and found it lying thus; (q)(q)Graff. deciſ. part. 1. l. 1. c. 24. n. 3.let the Confeſſor teach him to form the ſign of the Croſs with three ſingers, to ſignifie the myſtery of the moſt Sacred Trinity. But firſt it muſt be drawn from the top of the head, or front to the Navel, to ſhew that the Son of God deſcended from the higheſt Heavens into the bowels of his Mother: then draw the croſs line from the left Arm to the right, ſo the cauſe of the Incarnation is expreſſed, He came from Heaven to Earth, that we who were to be placed amongſt the Goats at his left, might be removed to his right hand amongſt the Sheep. This is the admirable expedient: the grave Benedictine reflecting on it, was put into a tranſport; for he adds (r)(r)Ecce quanta nobis fidei noſtrae myſteria unica formandae crucis ratione Mater Eccleſia docuit, ut ſi nihil praeterea ſciret rudis homo, vel hoc ſolum ad ſalutem illi ſufficere queat. ibid.behold what great myſteries of faith Mother-Church hath taught us by one mode of forming a Croſs, ſo that a rude perſon needs know nothing beſides this, even this alone may be ſufficient for his Salvation. Here is a compendious way indeed to Salvation, and all the knowledge and faith needful for it: he that can be ſatisfied with it (and give himſelf up to abſurd and ridiculous deluſions (againſt all the evidence of Gods word) may in few minutes with once making the ſign of the Croſs, get all the faith requiſite for a Roman-Catholick: and when by ſuch admirable conduct of the Croſs he hath but once believed; he need never more trouble himſelf with faith, while he lives. (s)(s)Praeceptum fidei non obligat perſe, niſi ſemel forte in vita. vid. Jo. Sanc. diſp. 41. n. 32. Advertant praeceptum fidei non obligare per ſe, niſi tempore uſus rationis advenientis, vel poſtea, ſi tunc non eſt impletum taliter, quod poſt ſemel elicitum actum fidei raro vel fortaſſe nunquam occurrat dicta obligatio exercendi actus fidei, ſic expreſſe Suarez, Aragon, &c. ibid.The precept for faith (ſaith another) obligeth p. 119not, but perhaps once in a life, and it is delivered as the judgment of Aragon Torres, and other their chief Divines, that of it ſelf it binds not, but when one comes to the uſe of reaſon, or if it be not then performed, afterwards: but after one act of faith once put forth, the obligation to exerciſe more acts do rarely or may be never occurr. Such is their faith, and thus you muſt conceive if you can, how they live by it. They can make a life of faith of one act alone in a whole life. No wonder they preſume, that they can ſo perfectly fulfill the whole Law, yea and pay God much more than his due: when they make the greateſt commands (the ſum of the Law and Goſpel) to amount to little or nothing; and inſtead of a Hundred ſet down not Fifty, but a fraction, or a cypher: when in the caſe before us, they take no more notice of the faith which the Goſpel calls for, yea make bold in a manner wholly to neglect that of their own making.